In recent years, use of mobile communications devices for voice telephone services, email or text messaging services and even multi-media services has become commonplace, among mobile professionals and throughout the more general consumer population. Mobile service provided through public cellular or PCS (personal communication service) type networks, particularly for voice telephone service, has become virtually ubiquitous across much of the world.
A user of the mobile device usually enters a telephone number into the mobile device or retrieves a number from a contact list to reach a particular destination. The dialing patterns are country specific and apply whether the user is dialing from a mobile device or from a landline. As such, it is important for the mobile user to dial a correct dialing pattern as the mobile user roams from one country to another country.
For example, if the mobile user has its home network in United States and wishes to reach another subscriber within the same home network, the user may enter the National Direct Dial (NDD) code of the United States (e.g., 1) followed by the phone number of the other user. For another example, if the same mobile user wishes to reach another subscriber within the network of another country, the user may have to dial the International Direct Dial (IDD) code (e.g., 011) of the United States followed by the country code associated with the other user and the telephone number of the user. As such, as mobile users roam into different networks, they need to be continuously aware of the IDD code of the country in which they are located and the relevant country codes.
The rapid expansion of such mobile communication services has resulted in deployment of a variety of different and often incompatible wireless network technologies, in different jurisdictions or regions and in some cases as competing services within the same area. A large carrier may operate its network over a wide geographic area and have roaming agreements with operators of other compatible technology networks in other areas. However, occasions still arise in which a service technology of a home network service provider may not be available in a visited area or region into which a customer roams and intends to use her mobile station. To allow continued operation in regions where the local provider offers service via a different technology, station manufactures have developed dual or multi mode mobile stations, which have the capability of communicating via two or more wireless mobile technologies.
Hence, global devices that use 3GPP2 type CDMA technologies (1×RTT and EVDO) are also required to operate in networks that support 3GPP technologies (GSM/UMTS/LTE). This is necessary because in many countries around the world CDMA is not deployed. One example would be European countries where a CDMA device would have no coverage at all. In addition, there are many countries, e.g., China and India, where both 3GPP2 and 3GPP based networks exist with extensive coverage.
The variety of different wireless network technologies require a variety of different number formatting schemes for placing calls either domestically or internationally. For example, for international calls, the CDMA network requires the user to enter an IDD code or Exit code of the current country that the mobile station is operating in and the destination country code associated with the international number prior to entering the international number of the intended destination. In contrast, the GSM networks enable the user to enter a “+” rather than the IDD code to initiate an international call. In response, the GSM network assumes the correct IDD code and adds it in the relevant signaling messages if/when needed to route the call to the destination. Such systems, however, may create inconvenience for the users because the users may not be aware of international dialing standards to successfully dial numbers both domestically and internationally.
To illustrate further, even if it is assumed that the user is aware of standards applied in user's home country, the user may not be aware of the same when traveling to other countries. For example, the user may be aware that making international calls from the United States requires first dialing IDD 011, however, the same user may not be aware that to make the same international call in China, he/she has to instead dial 00 as for the IDD code. For another example, the user may even be aware of the IDD code of the foreign country in which he/she is located but may not be aware of the country code associated with the destination number. For example, the destination number may be 908-555-1212, which the user calls frequently when at home in the United States. To dial the same number from outside of the United States, the user will need not only the relevant IDD code but also the country code (e.g., ‘1’) of the United States.
Hence there is a need for method that helps users, especially those not aware of international dialing standards, to dial numbers both domestically and internationally regardless of the wireless network or the country in which they are operating.